Books I Read in July and August 2024

Only one book a month as the reading slump continued. This is the least I’ve read in a long time. I think I finally broke through as I started reading some Sherlock Holmes stories. On to the two books.

Psycho by Robert Bloch (The Overlook Press, 2010. First published in 1959)

I watched Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and a few of his other films years and years ago. A few months ago I started watching his films from the beginning. I’m taking a break from them now but wanted to read Bloch’s original book before re-watching Psycho. The book really gets into the head of Norman Bates. Parts of it are a little dated but it was a suspenseful read, even with knowing the major plot points from watching Hitchcock’s film adaptation.

The Carter of La Providence by Georges Simenon (Penguin Classics, 2014. First published in 1931)

This is the second book in the long running Inspector Maigret series. In this one Maigret investigates after a body is found by a canal in the French countryside. The story is okay but where it really shines is with the atmosphere as Maigret traipses through the gloomy countryside in the pouring rain. As it’s an early book in the series, Simenon is still getting a handle on the character. Will be reading more. 

September Reading Plans 

Besides continuing with The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, I’m planning on reading some Conan pastiche for a reading event called Cimmerian September. I have plenty of books on the shelf to choose from and I’ll post some pics. We’ll see what happens though as I never do well with reading events. 

Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy

My reading slump continues. I haven’t been reading much but I have been watching stuff. I just finished a rewatch of Sergio Leone’s Dollars Trilogy, aka The Man with No Name Trilogy even though Eastwood's character is named in each film, a marketing gimmick dreamed up by American distributor United Artists.

Leone is one of my favorite directors and this loose trilogy includes some of my favorite spaghetti westerns. You can really see Sergio Leone growing as a director with each film. Watched on Blu-ray as I’m slowly rebuilding my physical media collection. It’s nice to have a library of my favorite films and I love watching the extras that are included. 

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

Yojimbo as a western with Clint Eastwood in the starring role. Loved the soundtrack, the direction, the way the shots were framed, all the close-ups, and how they all moved the story forward. 

For a Few Dollars More (1965)

After A Fistful of Dollars, Sergio Leone ups his game story-wise, direction-wise, and final shootout-wise with For a Few Dollars More. I loved seeing Clint Eastwood paired up with Lee Van Cleef. I still prefer A Fistful of Dollars over this one though. 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)

Extended version. I really like how Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach play off of each other. There were lots of scenes where Leone just lets the camera tell the story and I loved it. It’s a long movie but all the sweeping vistas, the character moments, the twists and turns, as well as the direction and that amazing soundtrack from Ennio Morricone, held my attention throughout. From the character introductions to the final shootout, a spaghetti Western masterpiece that includes a strong anti-war message. 

For future viewing: Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), which has been on my to-watch list for quite a long time.